The mixed emotion was evident on Herman Edward’s face when Tony Dungy’s name was mentioned. Amid the euphoria of the Jets’ 41-0 whipping of the Colts yesterday at the Meadowlands, Edwards felt for his friend and former colleague.

“It’s a sweet deal for us,” Edwards said. “But it’s tough on him. I’m thankful for our friendship and the opportunity he gave me to stand here as a head coach. He’s a great man.”

The game marked the first time two black head coaches faced each other in a NFL playoff game, a milestone that acknowledged the league’s efforts towards diversity, while showing it still has a long road to go.

Considering Edwards and Dungy are the only two black head coaches among 32 teams, the NFL can’t take any extended bows. To his credit, commissioner Paul Tagliabue has shown a genuine interest in improving the number of minority candidates for head coaching and assistant coaching positions in the NFL, where currently 28 percent of the assistant head coaches and coordinators are black. In fact, not only were the head coaches in yesterday’s game black, but so were both defensive coordinators: Ted Cottrell of the Jets and the Colts’ Ron Meeks.

“In situations like this, we can talk about the positives, two programs going in the right direction, two guys doing it who got a chance,” Dungy said before the game. “Hopefully, that will be something that other people around the league see and take note of it.”

There have been just five African-American head coaches in the modern era: Art Shell of Oakland, Ray Rhodes of Green Bay and Philadelphia, Dennis Green of Minnesota, Dungy and Edwards. Most recently, the league issued a directive that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for every open head coaching position.

“I think it will be done in the right way by most people,” Dungy said. “That’s not to say there will be more black coaches getting jobs, but I think the more black coaches get introduced into that loop, the better.”